Our Team
Our Values
Firm beliefs, softly held.
We:
- Start, small and scale.
- Embrace complexity.
- Act informed by experience.
- Create space.
- Center humans.
- Recognize power.
- Make the implicit explicit.
- Pursue justice and seek liberation.
- Do the work.
Accelerator Support Structures
The innovation Accelerator is an introduction to structured problem solving and community. We slow things down to speed things up. We use a mix of process improvement, nudging, and human centered design methods to rapidly deliver better results. In the Accelerator, you are responsible for your own growth and share in the responsibility for the growth of the community. The Support Structure team comes from the Accelerator community and have stepped up to build the bike lanes, keep the trains running, and stand up the core infrastructure for accelerating liberation.
Adrienne
Organizes and Facilitates Learning Circles
I enjoy joy: serving others, stand up comedy, music, dancing, running in the rain, nature, connecting with other people, juggling, meaningful work, kids, learning new things, laughing.
“Life is for service.” — Fred Rogers
Adrienne
Organizes and Facilitates Learning Circles
Lover of books, learning, laughter, irreverence, joy, kindness, makeup, warmth, hygge, beauty, museums, nature walks, meditation, writing, pens, stationary, dancing, love, travel and dreaming.
“Remember teamwork begins by building trust. And the only way to do that is to overcome our need for invulnerability.” — Patrick Lencioni
Eric
Facilitates Learning Circles
How can I help? I love to answer this question. Oh, AND all roads lead to the Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza in Montgomery County, Maryland; the most populous county in the state and one of the most diverse (flanks Washington D.C.) When I'm not working, you’ll find me spending time outdoors with my family, attending community events in the region and enjoying the downtown Silver Spring area. Seriously ask me anything and I’ll do my best to help you!
“Success is born of time well spent”
Larissa
Facilitates Learning Circles
Energy Edutainer who educates in an entertaining way, on the power of energy. Life long learner passionate about harnessing our personal energy through LAUGHTER and MOVEMENT to make the world a better place. Also someone who says “Yes And”…far too often.
“the road may not be straight but it’s going forward so I stay on it” — Larissa Johnson
Leon
Facilitates Learning Circles
Helping folks access care, reducing stigma, and supporting my colleagues.
“The most violent element in society is ignorance.” — Emma Goldman
Michael
Creates enabling structures
Serving as a resource and advocate for people making things better. Storyteller-in-training. Old student loves exploring, swimming, running, cycling, punning, and being in community.
“All that you touch
You Change.
All that you Change
Changes you.
The only lasting truth
Is Change.”
—
Octavia Butler
Patsy
Builds Accelerator Mentor Program, Facilitates Learning Circles
Hispanic immigrant, mother of four monsters, who loves to play and coach sports, spend time in the woods fishing and hunting, lives life to the beat of her own drum, with fire.
“If they know nothing of victory, they are at least spared the knowledge of defeat.” — Oscar Wilde
Sharon
Facilitates Learning Circles
Curious and forever looking for my next adventure somewhere in the world I have yet to explore. Aspiring bread baker, goofy mom to two kiddos, lives for skiing and nature is what nourishes my soul.
“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take but by the moments that take your breath away.” — Maya Angelou
Susanne
Writes Plain Language, Masters the web, Facilitates Learning Circles
Things that bring me joy: walks and podcasts (often together), reuse, Bach, hand-sewing, tending my kitchen cultures, dirt therapy in my garden.
“There is a voice that doesn't use words. Listen.” — Rumi
"Mo"
MOtivates the MoCo Herd
The Elephant in the Room
The one who gets things done. Makes change seem small, grows the herd, addresses the feeling in the room. Generally eaten one bite at a time and reminds us of all our senses. Tramples doubt. Gaze provides official recognition. Remembers our stories and trumpets them to the world.
“We are not problems waiting to be solved, but potential waiting to unfold.” — Frederic LaLoux
Accelerator Lead
James
Organizes Accelerator Mentor Program, Facilitates Learning Circles
I enjoy helping people! My favorite things to do are laughing until tears, working out, and learning.
“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” — Maya Angelou
Civic Design Leads
We work with partner departments and teams to make government service delivery just, human, and liberating.
Amanda
Working to link empathy with efficiency. People person. Champion of snail mail. Collector of passport stamps. Most likely found hiking, eating breakfast, practicing Olympic lifting, or cooking for a full table of soon-to-be friends.
“To pay attention, this is our endless and proper work.” — Mary Oliver
Nidhi
LinkedIn | Portfolio | Twitter
I apply people-centered design methodologies to reimagine civic engagement. An artist at heart, I attempt to bring people together to break down complex problems to co-create actionable solutions.
“What we do is more important than what we say or what we say we believe” — bell hooks
Open Innovation Fellows
Mallory
Open Innovation Fellow
Connecting big-picture policy to the individual experiences that shape us. Energized by learning new things, connecting with people, challenging myself, and being in nature.
"Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life." — Omar Khayyam
Design x People - Civic Design Response Fellows
What if the people of government and the people of communities designed together? Meet Design BY People, a prototype of US Design Response. Civic Design Response Fellows volunteer to bring their skills to their government and people of government volunteer their problems and expertise. In 4 to 6 month engagements, we design government by people. We deliver results, not recommendations, build momentum not memos, and focus on delivery, not decks.
More Fellows coming soon!
Alumni
Aden
2021 Summer Innovation Fellow
Prototyped new tools to improve IT procurement and reduce bias in the hiring process. Rooted us in the history of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse space.
Lifelong student and avid learner, loves to hike, bike, and read.
“Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It’s your masterpiece after all.” — N. Morris
Alyssa
Innovation Manager
Passionate about community based solutions. Always looking to learn, grow, and change. Recreational park sitter who loves to read, drink copious amounts of coffee, make soup, and play guitar, softball, and tennis.
“You have to act as if it were possible to radically transform the world. And you have to do it all the time.” — Angela Davis
Anna
Design x People -
Civic Design Response Fellow
Advocate for community, sustainability, and envisioning more just futures. Impulsive cook. Vinyl enthusiast. Budding plant person.
“The role of the artist is to make the revolution irresistible.” — Toni Cade Bambara
Candace
Facilitates Learning Circles
A lifelong student who enjoys reading, beaches, hiking, candles, art, flowers, animals, and being a mother to my daughter.
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.” — Lao Tzu
Douha
Innovation Manager
Recent graduate who’s hoping to help others! Likes sharing a good laugh and a good book. Also a fan of rugby and of course the community we all bring to each other.
“We have on this earth what makes life worth living" — Mahmoud Darwish
Estela
Design x People -
Civic Design Response Fellow
LinkedIn | Portfolio | Instagram
Designer and storyteller that transforms complex information into meaningful stories. Aspires to a Life-centered design practice that promotes equity and multiculturality through frameworks like Biomimicry and Design Justice Principles.
“When the forest and the city are functionally indistinguishable, then we know we have reached sustainability." — Janine Benyus
Evan
Civic Designer
I use design to connect government leaders with the people they serve. I facilitate conversations that help communities envision a better future and work together with key partners to make it a reality. Topics I could talk all day about: human-centered design, behavioral economics, systems thinking, public spaces, my faith, my family, and the LA Lakers.
"Empathy... is simply listening, holding space, withholding judgment, emotionally connecting, and communicating that incredibly healing message of ‘You’re not alone.’" — Brené Brown
Kate
Former educator and lifelong learner. Finds joy in bringing people together to define and work toward shared goals. Mama of two. Lover of books, the outdoors and Kansas City barbeque.
“The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now.” ― James Baldwin
Mary
Eases administrative support
I am a proud Irish woman-last May my son and I took a special trip to Ireland, and it was wonderful! My passion is to advocate for individuals with disabilities to gain employment. I love to spend time in my garden, reading, walking, cycling and cooking. Volunteering in the community is another thing I really enjoy doing.
“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.” — Maya Angelou
Prisca
2023 Summer RISE Intern
Things I love: governments and politics, dancing, literature, gaining knowledge, trying new foods, talking with new people, laughter, nature, and the color yellow.
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others" — Mahatma Gandhi
Rachel
2021 Summer Innovation Fellow
Exposed the County to applied behavioral science and applied it herself to COVID vaccine messaging and job ads.
Engaged learner passionate about addressing unmet needs. Aspiring yogi. Loves coffee in the morning, music at all times of the day, and exercising in the afternoons.
"...to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know that one life has breathed easier because you lived here. This is to have succeeded." — Ralph Waldo Emerson
Rohan
2021 Summer Innovation Fellow
Launched the inaugural Accelerator Census and supported the Civic Design team in mapping the journeys of consumers and candidates for local office. Rooted us in the history of the Thurgood Marshall Courthouse space.
An empath, innovator, and problem solver that wants to make something that helps people in the ways they most need it. Basketball, tennis, longboarding, saxophone, art, hip-hop culture enthusiast.
“Without a struggle, there will be no progress.” — Frederick Douglass
Sarah
Civic Designer
I am a Qualitative Research and Communications Designer who helps make public service more attuned to people’s needs. I began my public service career as an ethnographic researcher and ethnography is at the heart of my work.
“My humanity is bound up in yours for we can only be human together. We are different precisely in order to realize our need of one another.” — Desmond Tutu
Sheila
Civic Designer
You know the saying "think outside the box"? I've never seen the box. Nomad at heart. Foodie. Make-believe athlete. Helping communities find their superpowers.
“We do not just risk repeating history if we sweep it under the carpet, we also risk being myopic about our present.” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Supreet (Preeti)
Design x People -
Civic Design Response Fellow
Lifelong student, avid learner and reader. Martial Artist/Scientist. Lover of languages, arts, history, overall closet nerd. Budding hiker and amateur model/dancer.
“Through Selfless Service, Eternal Peace Is Obtained” — Guru Granth Sahib p.125 (Sikhism)
Vianka
Design x People -
Civic Design Response Fellow
Passionate about creative problem-solving for social good. Endlessly inquisitive. World travel enthusiast and a big fan of cold brew year round.
“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” — Albert Einstein